POLICE REFORM & CRIME

Politics should not influence the safety of our community.

The report from the U.S. Justice Department says it all, “poor training, too quick to use excessive and often deadly force, lax discipline, and lack of consequences for excess attacks on Blacks and Latinos.”

The result is an overwhelming lack of trust in our police force by members of our communities and a police force that reacts to that lack of trust with only more force. This continues to erode the trust we have in our men and woman in blue.

It is time we rebuilt the trust between our communities and the police, all while making our streets safe again. When we empower and reward effective and law-abiding officers through proper funding, educational resources, and multicultural encouragement, we become our own protectors.

Law enforcement must be part of the community, invested in the result of their hard and difficult work.

CREATE “BEAT INTEGRITY” by urging officers to build relationships within their community. Officers are charged with public safety and that can only be achieved if they’re familiar with the community they serve and they understand it’s needs.

REWARD OFFICERS for community engagement and reduction in crime rates, focusing on the protection of their neighborhood instead of generating revenue through superfluous ticketing. Officers should be encouraged to live within the wards they serve with incentives and benefits.

OFFERING PROGRESSIVE APPROACHES to education and training, ending the abusive implementation of force. Officers need the support of the community, but that can only happen when outdated methods of law enforcement are no longer practiced by their superiors.

MANDATORY COMMUNITY SERVICE to promote the harmony between officer and citizen. All CPD officers should be given monthly paid time off to engage with the community and participate in neighborhood improvement projects.

It is time to bring the police back into the fold of our community and remind them that at the end of the day our goals are the same. Together we can ensure that no citizen ever feels unsafe in their homes, on their streets or in their lives.

✶ ✶ ✶ ✶

Paid for by People for Jon-Robert McDowell. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board’s official website (www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.